Monday
23rd Dec 2024
Dhivehi Edition
President of the People’s National Congress, Abdul Raheem Abdullah
President of People's National Congress (PNC) and interim Leader of opposition Progressive Congress Coalition Abdul Raheem Abdulla (Adhurey) has stated that former President and incumbent Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed is in the pursuit of presidency and power, and that the opposition will never support a parliamentary system of governance.
Headed by President Nasheed, members of the Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) have begun signing a petition calling for President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to change the governing system. Nasheed called for all to sign the petition, claiming that during the upcoming MDP internal elections, he will only support candidates who advocate for a parliamentary system.
In an interview with Dhiyares today, Adhurey stated that the opposition stands firm with the presidential system of governance. He said that although former President Yameen may have supported a parliamentary system before, the former president respected the public’s desire to maintain a presidential system. As per Adhurey, the former president, after ruling in a presidential system, realized that it is much easier to serve the people and bring developments with the current system.
He also explained the disadvantages of a parliamentary system; the leadership may often be compromised, and the majority parliament members elected with parties’ support and no educational background are not capable of running the country. “We are facing this problem even now. This shows that even if you spend 25 years in parliament, you are not capable of ruling the country. This is honestly the problem we are facing today because the people elected have no leadership experience”.
Adhurey added that a parliamentary system would not benefit a country like the Maldives and that Nasheed is just in the pursuit of power. He reiterated that President Yameen advocates for the presidential system. He speculated that the petition may be an act orchestrated in collaboration with President Solih, and assured that no matter what, the opposition will stand firm in its support for the public’s decision.
So far, the petition has been signed by 13 MPs affiliated with MDP. During a press conference on Monday, Spokesperson at the President’s Office Mabrook Azeez stated that if the petition garners enough support, a systemic vote will be taken. He recalled that MDP pledged to change the governing system in the middle of the presidential term, the government has not promised to do so. It is worth noting that the petition has not been signed by any member of President Solih’s faction.